Tarpon Diaries, Day 3 – Silver King
Within the first 40 minutes of the day we have shots at 3 strings of about 8 each. Happy tarpon. After that, very little showing. We see them break from far off, but they turn and miss us.
The light is flat and we can’t see a thing. Rain starts to dump. Days like this make me want quit and go in. Take a nap. Watch Harry Potter.
The rain stops. We can see again.
John spots a fish moving in.
I don’t see a thing.
100 feet and closing.
Still see nothing.
“80 feet, there at 10 o’clock!”
Nope, nothing.
“60 feet, he is right past that sargassis grass. CAST!”
I make the cast but I see nothing, at least not until right before my fly lands. Then I see the fish. I threw the fly right on him! He doesn’t spook. He is still there. I begin to strip. He is still moving.
No wait…
He is following my fly.
“Speed up the retrieve. More!”
The line stops and is tight.
The world hits the pause button.
And then…
“Clear that line!!! Don’t look at that fish, look at your feet! Watch that line! Watch your reel handle! What is your drag set at?! Put some heat on him! Now when he jumps, bow your rod! Don’t fight him with the rod, you aren’t doing shit! Point the rod at him and pull!!! Leader to rod tip, that’s a caught fish!”
I could do this every day of my life if I was allowed.
Andrew McKinley
Duranglers Flies and Supplies
